tripleevenfall writes: Microsoft will be able to throw a "kill switch" to disable or even remove an app from users' Windows 8 devices, the company revealed in documentation released earlier this week for its upcoming Windows Store.

"In cases where your security is at risk, or where we're required to do so for legal reasons, you may not be able to run apps or access content that you previously acquired or purchased a license for," said Microsoft in the Windows Store terms."If the Windows Store, an app, or any content is changed or discontinued, your data could be deleted or you may not be able to retrieve data you have stored," Microsoft said.

Both Apple and Google can flip such a switch for apps distributed by the iOS App Store and Android Market, respectively.Link to Original Source

HopefulIntern writes: The MPAA's answer to the blackouts today are that they are "dangerous" and "irresponsible" and "an abuse of power given the freedoms these companies enjoy in the marketplace today". That is a bit rich, isn't it?Link to Original Source

but can we really say that any terrorist group (hell, any government) knows enough about science and biology not to do something like this?Scientists were worried that the first atomic bomb would ignite the atmsophere. They were wrong, but we still tried it out anyway.

I think the issue isn't about targetting or precision, but more about shortseightness and general stupidity.

Alunral writes: "Early tonight, multiple ISPs like Comcast, Optimum, Time Warner, and more have started to deny and block access to americancensorship.org. This comes as a bit of a shock, as blocking it will only seem to bring more attention to the entire problem."

An anonymous reader writes: A new Adobe Flash exploit has been discovered that allows any website you visit to activate your webcam and microphone giving whoever owns the website the opportunty to watch and record you sat at your machine. The exploit involves the use of a hidden iFrame and the Flash Player Settings Manager. With just four clicks of the mouse the camera can be activated silently and the user has no idea. The example given is a simple game that pops-up the webcam output once you've done the appropriate number of clicks.

Adobe has been told about the problem several weeks ago, but has yet to respond. So the exploit has been made public to try and speed things along.Link to Original Source

Hugh Pickens writes writes: "Craig McClain reports that team of evolutionary scientists recently traveled to the heart of America visiting rural schools and communities in Nebraska, Montana, and Virginia to share their excitement about science on the birthday of Charles Darwin and were overwhelmed with the graciousness, enthusiasm and sincerity of the teachers, school administration and particularly the students that hosted them. "Over the course of our visits, the questions we received from students were thoughtful and founded in sheer curiosity about the science we presented," writes MacClain. "Indeed, the questions were the most exciting part of our collective visits." Another purpose of the trip was to introduce people to the diverse types of research scientists do, open students’ minds to the possibilities of careers in science, and offer an alternative to stereotypes of science and scientists in general. McClain says the end of our visit to Perkins County High School, a 10th-grader told us, “You guys are not what I expected from scientists. You’re more normal.” Some criticize the Darwin Day Road Show for being nothing more than a “Darwinist ministry,” others for it not being more explicit in its discussion of evolution and Darwin, but with this year's success, there will be a Darwin Day Road Show 2012 and the National Center for Science Education is planning to hit all 50 states by 2015. MacClain says the team has found a middle ground that allows scientists to stop communicating at and start communicating with the public. "It reminds us all that interactions between science and society need not be contentious. At its heart, science is about questions, and we all naturally ask them.""

FTiwana writes: "They say that the human blood stores a lot of biological energy. Ever thought of a lamp powered by human blood? So here it is, a blood powered lamp designed by Mike Thompson. The lamp utlilizes blood as a source of energy.The lamp contains luminol; the same chemical forensic scientists use to check for traces of blood at a crime scence. Luminol reacts with the iron in red blood cells and creates a bright blue glow."Link to Original Source

vasanth writes: "Two new initiatives at the University of Cambridge aim to address the growing demand on the Earth’s resources for food and fuel by improving the process of photosynthesis.

Four transatlantic research teams – two of which include academics from Cambridge’s Department of Plant Sciences – will explore ways to overcome limitations in photosynthesis which could then lead to ways of significantly increasing the yield of important crops for food production or sustainable bioenergy.

Despite the fact that photosynthesis is the basis of energy capture from the sun in plants, algae and other organisms, it has some fundamental limitations. There are trade-offs in nature which mean that photosynthesis is not as efficient as it could be – for many important crops such as wheat, barley, potatoes and sugar beet, the theoretical maximum is only 5%, depending on how it is measured. There is scope to improve it for processes useful to us, for example increasing the amount of food crop or energy biomass a plant can produce from the same amount of sunlight."Link to Original Source